I am not a deposed emperor of Han Dynasty

The appointment of a mere temple priest actually had to go through six procedures including Taichang, Shaofu, Guang Luxun, the Cabinet and the Emperor.
I don’t know how many times more complicated it was than before.

If this matter were done in the past, it would only need to go through the Shangshu Department and one government office.

Moreover, as a bachelor of the cabinet, Zhang Anshi has no right to intervene in any aspect except the voting process.

If he really wants to accomplish this, Zhang Anshi must use his personal connections to find Taichang, Shaofu and Guang Luxun to plead for mercy.

This is not a self-effacing statement, but a genuine plea for mercy.

Whether he was a minister or a general, his rank was much higher than that of Jiuqing, so he was their proper official.

Under the circumstances at that time, even though Zhang Anshi could not directly intervene in the matter, he could still give orders to Jiuqing and let them do it according to his own ideas.

But now the situation is completely different. The rank of the cabinet bachelor and the second house of Jiuqing are the same, but the division of labor is different, but there is no distinction between superior and inferior.

Then, if Zhang Anshi wants to accomplish this, he can no longer use his identity to pressure Gong Sui and the other nine ministers.

So I really have to beg for mercy one by one.

But the emperor mobilized a lot of troops to reform the cabinet system, in order to prevent people from abusing private power, nepotism and forming cliques for personal gain.

I am afraid that no one in the Jiuqing and the Second Mansion would dare to join forces and risk such a thing that would easily make the emperor jealous.

"Brother, please don't forget that the chief officials of Jiuqing and the Second Mansion are almost all old ministers brought by the county magistrate from Changyi State. They used to be inconspicuous in the court, but they are not incompetent people."

"Just like the newly appointed Grand Sima Wang Ji, he seems to be a useless Confucian scholar, but he led people to escort the emperor to seize the military power of the middle base captain, and even led the troops to block the Huo thieves under the Hengmen .”

"In addition to being thoughtful, the county magistrate's greatest skill is to win people's hearts. These old officials of Changyi Kingdom have been with the magistrate day and night for many years, and they have long been dead set on him."

"Although we are both Confucian scholars, if we want them to do something that goes against the original intention of the county magistrate, it would be more difficult than reaching heaven." Zhang Anshi spoke from the bottom of his heart, with a sense of desolation and helplessness.

Although Zhang Anshi was not as obsessed with power as Huo Guang, nor did he have any intention of arrogating power, after all, he had lived in the court for a long time and suddenly had the power in his hands taken away. He would inevitably feel disappointed for a while.

After Huo Guang was imprisoned in the general's palace, Zhang Anshi's power reached its peak, and it only took less than two months for him to be taken away by the emperor again.

So much so that Zhang Anshi would regret from time to time, regretting that he didn't make plans for his brother and family at that time.

You have the right not to use it, it will become invalid upon expiration, please do not deceive me.

"Zi Ru, don't say any more. Brother Wei knows your difficulties and will never mention this matter again. Let Ye Tingling be Ye Tingling. I have been doing this for many years and there is nothing wrong with it." Zhang He said with a wry smile.

"Don't worry, brother, if I have the chance, I will definitely try my best to negotiate for brother." Zhang Anshi said with shame.

"You and I are already old, Peng Zu and the others are the most important. What will happen to their future?" Zhang He asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, brother, I know the priorities. Although I can't help them directly, there are still people who will buy my old face at the critical moment. I have a sense of proportion in this matter." Zhang Anshi said firmly.

"Okay, then there's Lao Ziru."

The two brothers said nothing more, and the study room once again fell into a brief silence.

Not long ago, this place was Huo Guang's study. It was very difficult for them to come here. But now it has become a place where the two brothers discuss secret matters. They can't help but feel a little complacent and scared.

Especially Zhang Anshi, who had been here more than once and remembered that there was once a picture of Duke Zhou becoming king hanging on the wall.

That is the source of Huo Guang's power.

At this time, Duke Zhou's plan to become king had long since disappeared, leaving only a dazzling mark on the wall.The Huo family was indeed prominent, but in the end it completely ceased to exist.

Although Zhang is not as good as him, he still stands tall.

This is where Zhang Anshi is stronger than Huo Guang.

"Zi Ru, after the county magistrate has changed like this, the government affairs seem to be more complicated, won't it cause the government affairs to be unsmooth?" Zhang He asked a digression after his mind stabilized.

"Brother, you can't look at it this way. It is indeed cumbersome for courtiers to interfere in government affairs, but for county officials, there is no change, and it is even much faster."

"In the past, if the county magistrate wanted to do anything, he had to go through the Shangshu Office, and then issue an edict or order to the Nine Ministers through the Prime Minister or the Grand Sima."

"But it's different now. The three princes have been abolished, and the cabinet is not the superior of the Jiuqing and the Second House. In this way, the emperor is giving orders directly to the Jiuqing and the Second House. The cabinet only drafts an edict, and the county magistrate can even draft an edict himself. Send it to Jiuqing Second Mansion."

"In this way, if the county magistrate issues an order, the cabinet drafts an edict, and the Jiuqing and the Second Office directly implement it, the government will be able to implement it much faster."

Zhang Anshi spoke eloquently and quickly made the pros and cons of the cabinet system clear - it was bad for the courtiers and good for the emperor.

"No wonder the county magistrate did not let the old officials of Changyi Kingdom join the cabinet, but instead let them serve as chief officials of the Second House of Jiuqing. It turned out to be to prevent..." Zhang He did not dare to continue.

"Brother is right, it is just to prevent the cabinet from being disobedient. If the cabinet resists, the county magistrate can directly issue an order to the Second Office of the Nine Ministers to completely abolish the cabinet."

"Zi Ru, why did the county magistrate make such a big fuss in the court?"

"The county magistrate naturally wants to ensure that the subsequent New Deal can be implemented smoothly, and naturally he wants to enrich the people and strengthen the country." Zhang Anshi shook his head and said.

"Brother Wei always feels that this new policy is really scary. Do you know what laws the county magistrate is going to change?"

"The county magistrate has already made plans in his mind, and he likes to keep Chen Cang secret. He doesn't discuss the reform and new policies with us at all, so I don't know the inside story." Zhang Anshi was even more helpless.

"Then we can only wait?"

"Well, we can only wait, but I can guess what the emperor is going to do next."

"What's the matter?" Zhang He asked excitedly.

"I'm afraid it's the imperial examination system that I mentioned a few months ago."

"really?"

"Brother, don't forget, another big event is going to happen in a few days."

Zhang He looked confused, but couldn't remember what happened for a moment.

"Shiqu Pavilion debates scriptures." Zhang Anshi said these words.

After Zhang He heard this, he suddenly realized and remembered this matter that had been decided a few months ago.

"The debate on scriptures and the imperial examination will probably be another earth-shaking event. It will be difficult for Chang'an City to have peace again."

Not far away, the laughter of children became more and more lively, and the sound of strings and bamboo strings gradually became better, creating a cheerful atmosphere.

It's better to be a child, you don't have to worry about this flattery and deception in court.

The two brothers said no more, and the long night passed. (End of chapter)